Cause And Effect: The Burden Of A Legacy
by janey-in-a-bottle
Summary: When Kaoru thinks the new guy in class to be just a shy outsider, she couldn't be more wrong. Little does she know that his ancestor is the legendary Battousai. And she is in for even more 'surprises'... modern day, nonAU!
1. Approaches and Surveillances

**Summary:  
**When Kaoru thinks the new guy in class to be just a shy outsider, she couldn't be more wrong. Little does she know that his ancestor is the legendary Battousai. And she is in for even more 'surprises'... [modern day, non-AU!]

**Disclaimer:  
**I don't own Rurouni Kenshin (after all, I'm no guy and my name's not Watsuki Nobuhiro either).  
I only created descendants of the original cast and let the past catch up with them... [insert evil grin here]

**A/N:  
**I guess the opening scenario for this fic is overly used by now, so I added a little twist to it – in the hope that this was not done already (or too often), too...  
And as an explanation to the summary: This story is set almost 120 years after the end of the manga and is also not a reincarnation fic. It'll become more clear in future chapters. More notes at the end of this one. For now I hope you enjoy the beginning of my first RK story.

----------

* * *

**Cause And Effect: The Burden Of A Legacy**

* * *

----------

**Chapter 1 – Approaches and Surveillances**

The new school year had started quite uneventful. Well, there _had_ been an event in the form of a new student, but that guy didn't seem to be interesting at all. Apart from his exotic appearance – he had long, bright red hair with a few darker streaks that he wore in a ponytail – the only thing truly noticeable about him was his silence. Even when their teacher had introduced Kanzaki Juro as an exchange student from the States, he had stayed mute. He had just bowed as a greeting and then gone straight for the farthest desk available.

Kaoru shook her head in disbelief. His behavior was definitely odd. He had never looked at anybody during the introduction. Instead – it seemed – the floor had been much more interesting. After sitting down, he had taken out his books and never raised his head again until the end of classes.

Although some girls had been excited over the new and "sooo _good_ looking!" student first, their interest had died before the first week was over. Nobody wanted to befriend somebody who was too shy to communicate.

After the second week nobody took notice of him anymore. It was, as if he wasn't even there. Everything was running smoothly until – during the third week – Takahara-sensei walked up to Kaoru to talk about the strange new student...

... and this was, how she found herself in the unfortunate position of having to 'take care of' Kanzaki Juro.

Damn. Having to deal with somebody like him would most likely end with her falling asleep at every single encounter, due to the lack of interaction. She just knew it! And she cursed the necessity of having to obey her teacher.

Now, two weeks after that, she had started several attempts to talk to him already. She had approached him in different locations. She had been friendly and acted the most winning way possible. To no avail. He stayed silent – didn't even acknowledge her presence most of the time. Was she invisible, or something?

Just then, she saw him walk past her with his head down as usual. For a moment she earnestly considered leaving him alone. Everything else simply wasn't worth the effort. But the mental image of her teacher made her quickly discard that option again. She would just have to give it another try...

---

Kaoru was not a happy girl. Watching the back of the retreating redhead, she cursed under her breath. She had just been totally ignored by him – _again_. God, this guy was stubborn!

She had found out pretty soon that his supposed shyness was nothing more than a mask. He simply _refused_ to interact with the people surrounding him. Was there anybody out there who had ever heard him talk before? She was beginning to doubt that.

He really was a mystery to her. And although she'd like to deny it, he had sparked her curiosity. What were the reasons for somebody to act so out of place? Had he trouble understanding or speaking their language? Improbable, since she'd seen him taking notes in class and that had definitely been in Japanese. If shyness wasn't the reason either, what else could make him behave that odd? Was he mute or just too arrogant for his own good? She didn't have a clue – and asking him was obviously out of question.

'Fine! Be that way. If you are trying to be a royal jackass here, just watch me do the same.' Thinking that, she began to follow him slowly.

Several steps ahead, her 'prey' was silently fuming about her latest advance. 'Hell, this girl is persistent. You'd think that by now she would have taken the hint and left me alone. But no, she tries again and again. Doesn't she ever grow tired? What _is_ this? A competition for the title of "Being The Most Stubborn"?'

Juro had a hard time trying to suppress an annoyed growl. It figured that his initial idea of playing the shy guy had been the wrong strategy, since it had ended with him being stuck with that nosy girl. Somehow, he doubted he'd ever be able to shake her off again.

The few shocked seconds after he had left her standing there _again_ had ended much too soon and now he noticed to his dismay that she was trailing him.

---

At the other end of the city two men sat in a darkened circular room, watching the countless monitors that covered half of the wall. Those monitors were fed by the numerous – but unofficial – observation cameras all over Tokyo. It was unusual for one of the men to be there though, since his rank normally demanded him to handle the 'more delicate' matters of his organization, which left him very little time for such 'trivial' things. But he liked to be on observation duty with his advisor and friend occasionally.

It was rather quiet in the room, apart from the faint buzzing of the machines – that is, until the man caught sight of something interesting on one of the screens.

"Look at that, Arai. It seems that our little Shimoda girl tries to befriend that Kanzaki guy."

Arai answered with an amused chuckle. "It doesn't look as if she was volunteering for the job, though". A short pause, then he added thoughtfully: "What do you think? _Is_ he a Himura?"

"I'm not sure. We have no proof yet, although he definitely has the looks." 'If nothing else...' he thought dryly.

"Will we have to step in?"

"Not yet – if at all. If he is a Himura, then they both have the same roots. It could be interesting to see how that turns out."

"But won't it be dangerous to have those two together? I mean, he's attracting attention even if he doesn't intend to. Isn't there the possibility of the Doumei noticing the Shimodas because of him?"

"At the moment they are pretty occupied with some business abroad, so the risk isn't very high. We _should_ have an eye on all of them, though. Better safe than sorry."

The two men fell silent again and continued their observation of Kaoru's fruitless attempts of starting something like a conversation with Kanzaki Juro. But the silence was rudely interrupted when another man noisily entered the room.

Ignoring the death glares of his superiors, the newcomer held out some sheets of paper and stated: "I have the information you asked for, Okashira."

Nodding curtly, the addressed man only took a very quick glance at the papers and then asked: "What did you find out?"

It was well known that the Okashira preferred to _talk_ about investigation results – keeping the papers only for backup. So the man had expected the inquiry and was able to answer immediately: "The boy in question is Kanzaki Juro. Seventeen years old. Transferred to this school about five weeks ago as an exchange student from the States. No available records on the parents. Seems to have a guardian who managed the transfer. No contact between the two, though. He currently lives in a small apartment in the neighborhood of the Shimodas."

"That's all you've got?" The Okashira eyed his subordinate doubtfully. At that, the man visibly straightened and continued: "That was only the _official_ version. The boy's real name is Himura Kenshin. Son of Himura Kazuo and his American wife Julie. His assumed name is the combination of his own second name and the maiden name of his grandmother. He's actually eighteen already. And the true purpose of his transfer seems to be related to his father's death."

Two pairs of eyes narrowed at that statement. "His father died?"

"Yes. Cause of death was a sword wound to the chest. He was found by his then eleven-year-old son."

"Ah, that's not a nice discovery for a little boy..." Arai said and the Okashira asked: "What more can you tell me about the circumstances of Himura's murder?"

"Well, strange is that nobody seemed to have reason to kill him, since he was an ordinary employee with no debts and no apparent enemies. However, the murder weapon was a sword of his own collection..." The man paused, as if unsure about how to announce the next part. Much quieter than before and obviously uncomfortable he said: "He had been pinned to the wall of his study when the boy found him."

This was followed by shocked silence. Then Arai whispered: "That would make him the very first victim of _that_ series."

With a slight nod the Okashira asked: "Is the boy the only one left or does he have family overseas?"

"His mother and nine-year-old sister are still living over there."

The Okashira cursed. "That needs to be taken care of. Send for Seta!"

The man blinked. "Which one?" The glare of his superior made him say a hasty "Right away!" and with a short bow he was gone.

The two remaining men sat in silence for a few moments and then the older one sighed. "This has just turned into a major disaster. I'll need to talk to the boy as soon as possible."

"How would you approach him? I doubt that our usual methods would succeed in gaining his trust."

"I'll let Arakawa and my daughter take care of that problem."

Arai looked at his boss in surprise and asked carefully: "You think this decision to be wise? They are still pretty young and lack the experience..." The look he received for his question made clear that he was lucky to be the Okashira's best friend.

"They both have been trained by _me_, so they'll be prepared," was the icy answer. "And their age will be their greatest advantage for this mission. It's more likely that Himura will warm up to people of his own age. And once they've gained his trust, it will be easy to bring him here."

"That may be so, but that plan seems to have two major flaws. First: It will take too much time until that boy will trust them. Just look how successful Kaoru is. And second: Don't you think, he'll feel betrayed as soon as they've brought him here and you start to ask your questions? How likely is it that he'll tell you anything?"

"True," the Okashira growled. "But they'll start on that mission anyway. We'll just have to come up with a faster method to make him want to talk to us. After all, it is in his own interest. And while the two are at it, they can also have an eye on him and make sure he and Kaoru stay out of trouble."

Arai still wasn't entirely comfortable with the plan, but since he couldn't think of a better strategy, he reluctantly agreed. Until they didn't know more about the details they couldn't do much more anyway. The only thing left on that matter now was to wait for Seta's arrival...

----------

* * *

----------

**A/N:  
**So, this was the first chapter. Hopefully not too confusing. And hopefully not too full of grammatical errors or language misuse. So far, I have no beta reader, so I can't guarantee for anything (so, if anyone wants that job...).

Something more about the background of the story: This is based on the manga only (so you _might_ consider the story semi-AU, if you're more into the anime). And in future references to the characters' family histories only incidents and persons from the manga will be mentioned. The history I created for my characters is definitely different from the anime ending (and much more to my liking). Also, most of the characters in this story are descendants of the original cast and apart from the occasional flashback none of that cast will appear here.

For this story I have worked hard on the background. Before I started writing I came up with a lot of additional info that might be mentioned in later chapters, but not necessarily. I will collect that info on a separate website and tell the link as soon as there is something interesting to see (probably together with the next chapter).

And for all of you who are impatiently waiting for updates: This story _will_ be updated, but at a slow pace. Although I know in which direction the plot will go, I'm no continuous writer – which means that I have a few chapters already finished that won't appear until much later, but the second chapter is still missing. I do hope, though, that after posting this first chapter I will be motivated enough to keep the story progressing at a reasonable pace. Reviews might help... ;-)


	2. First Stages of a Plan

**Disclaimer:  
**see first chapter

**A/N:  
**Here's the second chapter for you. And earlier than I thought, too. I was expecting it to be a month or so before I'd be able to update... (although it really wasn't that much of a difference)  
More notes at the bottom. For now, enjoy the newest chapter.

----------

* * *

**Cause And Effect: The Burden Of A Legacy**

* * *

----------

**Chapter 2 – First stages of a plan**

With a sigh Seta Akihiro let himself plop into the comfortable leather armchair in his office. It felt as if it was already well into the evening when it really was 'only' two in the afternoon. He'd been out for hours because of a hint that had turned out to be a dead end. And it was just his luck that he had run into trouble in the process. But fortunately it was _also_ his luck that he had subordinates who could be ordered to take care of the problem. He had more important things to do, after all.

...one of those things being the activities of the Meiun no Shishin. He scowled. Who did they think they were, calling themselves the 'Envoys of Doom'? What kind of an overblown name was that, anyway? It sounded as if it was taken right out of some trashy fantasy novel. If the matter weren't so annoying, he'd laugh about it. But despite their ridiculous name, those people were dangerous and they were very eager in their actions to prove that fact. And he had begun to _loathe_ them. It was because of them that he had neither slept nor eaten enough recently, since he always seemed to be busy with cases that involved them.

Speaking of eating: Just at this moment his stomach reminded him rather violently that he hadn't tended to it since his rushed breakfast at five this morning. It was about time he thought about what to have for lunch – and it should be _plenty_.

When his train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the door, he answered with an appropriately peevish growl.

"What is it now?"

The door was opened hesitantly to reveal one of his messengers, who was sporting a rather cautious expression.

"Seta-san?" A wary pause. "Your presence is requested..."

Akihiro's right eyebrow shot up with renewed annoyance. "Can't it wait?"

The question came out a little sharper than necessary, but he was at a point where he really could care less. The day just kept getting worse.

"I'm afraid not. The Okashira himself wants to talk to you. It sounds urgent."

"Dammit," he swore under his breath. So much for lunch. And if the Okashira wanted a meeting _right now_, it might take hours before he could get himself something to eat. Maybe he should simply insist on having his lunch – Shinomori's treat, of course – during the meeting. As much as the cooperation with the Oniwabanshuu had improved the efficiency of their own information network, he hated its leader's extraordinary talent for calling upon him at the worst times possible. It was time he became aware of his unpleasant habit, so he could stop being such a bully...

Akihiro knew that he was being rather childish at the moment, but again he didn't care. As long as his stomach remained empty, he didn't see a single reason why he should be considerate towards people who fared better than him.

With a resigned sigh he turned back to his messenger and asked: "Where's the meeting going to be held?"

---

It was nearing three in the afternoon, when Seta Akihiro finally arrived at the office building where Shinomori was waiting for him. And he still didn't know, what the meeting was going to be about. He had asked his messenger for more details, but the man hadn't known anything else either. Not something to lift his mood. What was going on that needed absolute secrecy?

He was now impatient enough not to wait for the elevator and took the stairs up to Shinomori's office instead. He paused briefly in front of the doors to the outer office, as not to appear too out of breath at his entrance, then pushed the door open. The secretary didn't even have the time to announce his arrival as he went straight for the office and entered without bothering to knock. Therefore he was rewarded with startled stares from the two men waiting for him. He took a moment to appreciate the sight, before he closed the door behind him and took the remaining seat at the desk.

"What's up, _Yuu-san_?"

His brash behavior together with the mockingly spoken name earned him a glare from Arai. Honestly, this man was a strange one who cared more about etiquette than the Okashira himself – which was one of the reasons Seta rarely bothered to be formal around the Oniwabanshuu's second...

"Any reason for your current mood?" Shinomori sounded mildly interested. It wasn't often that he was greeted with his nickname in a meeting.

"Well, I don't know if you can call an empty stomach a reason... But I'd appreciate it, if the meeting was a brief one. Or else I might have the grace to collapse onto your table. So back to my question now: What _is _up?"

"To answer that I will have to ask you a question, too: Last reports about the Doumei stated that they are operating abroad at the moment. We'd like to know what exactly they are doing there. Anything out of the ordinary?"

"Not that I know of. They've had a few of their men overseas for about two months now and surprisingly they have kept quiet, so far."

"Any hints that they might be tracking somebody?"

"Now, that is rather specific. What makes you assume that they're 'on the hunt' again?"

"Have you heard about Shimoda Kaoru's new acquaintance?"

Seta blinked at the seemingly sudden change of subject. "Yes, although I don't know that much about him, since he's been under _your_ observation. But in what way is he related to the Doumei's activities?"

"He's a Himura. And a very distinctive one at that."

"Whoa. That's definitely big news. How come we didn't know about his existence before?"

"That is something we have yet to find out. But what's more important: He still has family over there. And if _we_ have been able to identify him, _they_ won't be oblivious about him either. I'm not sure what they might do with that knowledge. But seeing that the boy's father has been killed seven years ago, they might be out to cause them trouble."

"And I guess you want me to keep an eye on them now."

"To put it briefly, yes. It might be wise to send someone to handle the situation. Either to change their location or act as bodyguard... Think of something. I truly hope we're not too late already."

"Something else?"

"Yes. I'd like to know more about the circumstances of Himura Kazuo's death as well as the reason for the family being missed by our investigations. It's bugging me to no end that something that important was happening without us knowing. Whoever you send, let them be thorough in their research."

A small, determined smile spread on Seta's face. "They will be, no worries. I'll send some of my best. We _will_ find out what is going on."

"Good."

"Do you have something I can base my research on?"

"You know me. Of course I have." With that, Shinomori held out a copy of the file he had received earlier that day. Seta thought it to be strange that he was suddenly intently observed by the two men. A little irritated, he opened the file to scan over the information. And then he stared...

It took him a few moments to process what he'd been reading. Carefully he lay the file on the desk in front of him and said quietly: "To think that something that big remained undiscovered until now..."

"That's what we've been thinking, too. Something's not right here. We'll be investigating the matter, while you are in charge for the Himura family overseas. We can't afford any more lapses."

"Looks like that." Grabbing the file again, Seta stood and turned to leave. He regarded the meeting as over now. He had had his fair share of bad news today. No need to stay and maybe learn even worse things.

He was almost out of the door when Shinomori spoke again, sounding somewhat teasingly: "I expect frequent reports."

Seta paused, sporting an indignant expression. "That goes without saying."

The Okashira grinned. "And ask Hisa to order you something to eat. You look awful."

"Don't rub it in. I'm going to order something _expensive_!"

He closed the door without waiting for an answer. Then he smiled. The meeting had been a rather short one, despite the tremendous news he'd been presented with. But he would always prefer a blunt approach, if it spared him time. Meaning in this case that he could finally have his late lunch – at Shinomori's expense, above all. And he didn't even have to ask...

----------

* * *

----------

**A/N:  
**Many thanks to kokoronagomu, who helped to get rid of some errors. Should you still be able to spot some, it's most likely all my fault... ;-)

Last chapter I promised to provide background info for this story. I have managed to put a few things together already – but not very much (for now; I'm still working on that). For those who are interested anyway: the Himura family tree is up already. So if you want to have a look, you can follow the link to my homepage in my profile. There you'll find the link "Fics" in the menue. You'll manage from there.

As for the next chapter: We'll go back to Kaoru and her reluctant ward. And hopefully that chapter will be up within a month, too.


	3. Taking Action

**Disclaimer:**  
see first chapter

**A/N:**  
Finally! I actually managed to get out the third chapter - although one month late... ^^;  
I have a reason, though: I got a new job (starting in January) and I had to move half across the country for that. Just yesterday I came back from furnishing my new apartment to spend Christmas with my family. So I thought, I'd finish the chapter and have a little Christmas present for you. ^^  
More about my update schedule at the end of this chapter.

----------

* * *

**Cause And Effect: The Burden Of A Legacy**

* * *

----------

**Chapter 3 – Taking Action**

"It's been a week now. What do you think?" Shinomori Reiko asked her friend, after putting away the notes she'd been reading.

When her father had given them the task to look after Himura and preferably even get in touch with him, she'd been surprised. Sure, she was highly skilled, despite only being sixteen, but she'd never been on such an important mission before. Her friend and partner Arakawa Hideo was only four years her senior and pretty much at her level. Though his (_slightly_, she insisted) better fighting skills were to his credit. Against that background she was not quite sure how to feel about the whole matter. Of course, she was proud that they were trusted to be successful. On the other hand, she was anxious they might not be able to meet the Oniwabanshuu's expectations. That didn't stop her from doing her best, though. And after said week of stalking their still unsuspecting target, they had gathered quite a bit of information.

Now the two sat together in Hideo's neat living room to go over their observation results. It had been almost eerily silent due to their reading, until the girl's question startled the young man out of his pondering.

Hideo looked up at the younger girl and answered carefully: "I'm not sure. He's not so easy to read..."

"Aww, come on. I _know_ you have formed an opinion about him already. So spill it!"

He sent her a mock glare before answering. "Let's see what we have so far... He _is_ a strange one, but interesting to examine." By the smirk he was developing now, Reiko could tell that he was truly hooked. "There's much more to him than he lets on. I mean, he's all closed up in public, but if you're able to notice and read even the smallest things..."

"We all know your talent in that field," Reiko teased him with a grin. "Just state the _new_ facts."

"Well, he's hiding something. And that has to be something big. The way he's avoiding social contact indicates he's not always like this, but still doesn't want to be involved with the locals. That could be interpreted as conceit, but in that case he would have avoided the situation altogether – meaning he would have stayed overseas. The fact that he's here anyway must be for a deeper reason."

"And you have concluded that because?"

"Because of his overall behavior. He's into heavy research – of which we still have to find out the topic. And still he manages that nobody else notices. Not even Kaoru, and she's around him quite often."

Reiko shrugged at this. "True. But since he's continuously ignoring her, she might not see his secrecy as unusual – just as a part of his way of behaving."

"And it's also helping that all the others don't bother to get near him. That was most likely his intention from the very start... His research could be what he's hiding, although I think that's only part of the truth." He paused shortly to recall the remaining facts. "Then there's the way he's holding himself. He doesn't strike a 'normal' observer as the fittest of people, but he definitely had some sort of training – martial arts, swords... something like that. Wouldn't even be surprising with his background. And again, there's the question _why_ he pretends to be less than he is. It probably is connected to his research as well. Which leads us back to the initial question of its subject."

Hideo told her all this, fully aware that she'd come to a very similar conclusion after examining their notes. Still he went with it, as it was habit between them. Reiko had inherited her father's talent of letting people explain things to her, regardless of her own knowledge on the matter. While some people might find that annoying, Hideo knew it was a clever way of summarizing results to get a clearer view of them and find new leads. She was good at that, he had to admit. And he liked the way it made their teamwork efficient.

"Since that seems to be the most pressing question at the moment, we'll have to investigate it next. What are our options?" she asked.

"Well, we could continue our observations, following him and use our more refined methods of information gathering. We'd eventually find out, but it would take some time. The other option is to approach him and try to get answers first-hand. That would be faster, but he might become defensive and cause all kinds of trouble."

"So, what are we going to do now?"

They grinned at each other and said simultaneously: "Approach!"

Trouble they could handle.

---

This morning Kaoru really didn't want to go to school. She had woken up with a headache and almost an hour too late to go through her normal morning procedure. And now it was raining. No, it would definitely be better to stay at home. But then she saw Juro walk past her house and remembered why she had no choice but to go. Takahara-sensei would probably assume her absence to be an attempt of backing out of her socializing duty. And she couldn't have _that_. Despite her current lack of success she could tell that her teacher approved of her efforts. There was no reason to destroy that with a single act of negligence. So there was only one thing to do: Rub the sleep out of her eyes, smile and act as if this was a good day.

Although she could have caught up to Juro, she trailed behind to get a few more minutes to fully wake up. Right now she didn't feel like leading a very one-sided conversation. Maybe during lunch break...

But she hadn't taken into account that he had the first two classes with her and the first thing she noticed when entering the room was a shock of red hair in the back and piercing blue eyes looking in her direction.

Wait! He was looking at her? With a blink of surprise she pondered if that was a good thing. When he still didn't look away, she jumped at the chance and flashed him a smile. Immediately he closed up and appeared as if he had never noticed her. Really! That guy was acting more childish than an a ten-year-old sometimes. And although he could be frustrating like that, she felt a little better now. She _liked_ rattling cages – and _his_ especially, recently.

On her way to her desk she was greeted by four girls she was loosely friends with.

"Hey, Kaoru! Are you still trying to get that nerd to talk?"

The dark look she shot them was answer enough. One of the girls laughed. "Why don't you just give it up? Would be better for your reputation, too. Or did you lose a bet?"

"I would never agree to a bet when something like this was the stake."

"Then why don't you leave him to himself?"

"I've been 'asked'," she growled. "It's not like I had any choice..."

"Whoever managed to persuade you must have had very strong arguments." Several snickers accompanied that statement, which Kaoru chose to ignore. That was healthier for all of them.

"Takahara-sensei was willing to clear my record in return. It's pitiful that he could get me with that, but I'll _need_ the support if I want to be accepted into the college of my choice," she admitted grumpily. That had been the last she had wanted to tell them. But it was better to be frank with them than letting them come up with their own explanations. That was trouble she really didn't want to deal with.

"Awww, good luck then. And don't worry, we'll still be your friends..." After some amused laughter, the girls waved their good-byes and left to their own desks.

Kaoru grimaced and muttered under her breath: "Thank you _so_ much. Some friends you are."

Now she was back to her dark mood again. No Juro-hassling today, she decided. It was just too tiresome like that. She hoped that Takahara-sensei would understand that she needed a break once in a while.

---

When school was over, Kaoru was more than glad to finally be able to leave. This had been one of those days that just lasted too long. The smile she flashed a few people on her way out was the first real one today. Her smile grew when she spotted Hideo waiting for Reiko at the entrance. Normally he did that twice a week when he picked her up for training. But over the last week he had been there every day. Kaoru had the feeling that something was up. She knew both of them long enough to know they valued their routines.

Just then Reiko appeared and called out to Hideo with a grin. He answered in a much more serious way – like always – and in passing Kaoru caught him calling her Misao. Now she _knew_ he didn't just come to see her. This was business. Reiko was only called Misao among the Oniwabanshuu and normally they would avoid ever mentioning that name on school grounds. Although it wouldn't be strange to use it, since it _was_ her name – and one with a tradition, too.

Almost all girls born to the Shinomori clan carried Misao as a second name. And Reiko herself was immensely proud of that second name – not only because she was trained to be the next Okashira, but because she was almost the spitting image of her ancestor. Apart from her height. She had taken after the male line of the Shinomoris and reached 5'7" already, and her family even seemed to expect her to gain a few more inches before her growth spurt ended. She had also inherited Misao's bubbly personality (if the family tales could be believed), which contrasted oddly with her serious 'on mission' side. For most people it was scary how fast she was able to switch between those two modes.

But at school she rarely showed her seriousness. If her classmates were asked about her character, they would say she was acting improperly childish most of the time. Reiko never cared. She nursed her 'secret identity', even adding fuel to the fire by playing the prankster. And she always found great entertainment in letting the other students continue to believe Hideo was her boyfriend. The first time she had heard about that, she had had a laughing fit that had almost ended in her hospitalization. After all, their relationship was on an entirely different level, but she doubted her classmates would understand if she tried to explain.

Hideo's mother had died giving birth to him, so the Okashira's family had taken care of him whenever his father had been on a mission for the Oniwabanshuu. When his father had died in a car accident, he had only been six and the Shinomoris took him in permanently. In compensation for his loss he had concentrated all his affection on the then two-year-old Reiko, resulting in them growing up like one inseparable entity. Things had changed when Hideo moved out after turning eighteen, although the two remained incredibly close.

But for everyone who knew both Reiko and Hideo on a more personal level, the idea of them being a couple seemed ridiculous. Kaoru was almost certain that even Hideo still secretly laughed about the whole ordeal.

Not now, though. Neither Reiko nor Hideo heeded the meaningful glances some students shot them in passing. They quietly discussed something before walking back into the building. _That_ was something new, too. Kaoru couldn't help but wonder what was up. But she knew better than to ask Reiko next time she saw her, because all she'd get would be some evasive reply. She wasn't curious enough that the waiting would kill her, though. She would most likely hear something about it later, anyway – if the matter wasn't confidential and Reiko decided to let little bits and pieces slip.

For now a good nap at home was much more appealing.

---

Juro didn't have the slightest chance. The moment he noticed that those two people entering the building were looking for _him_, he couldn't disappear anymore. He would have been able to, but not without drawing much unwanted attention in the long run. So he sighed in defeat and waited for them to meet him.

That people were actively seeking him out meant only one thing: The 'game' had gone up one level. From now on, he would have to watch his back much more carefully. Which promised to become a hard task, since he recognized one of the two approaching him as a student from this school.

He was just glad that they waited until they were near enough to address him, so not many people even noticed their meeting. The very few who did look in his direction would hopefully deem the situation unworthy to talk about later.

"Kanzaki Juro?" the girl asked and at his reluctant nod, she smiled brightly at him. "Could we please have a word with you?"

----------

* * *

----------

**A/N:  
**Betaed by kokoronagomu - thanks for the support! ^^

Not as much Kaoru-Kenshin interaction in this chapter as I promised last time. I'm sorry. It got cut in favor of the chapter length. Didn't want to mutate it into a monster... So the interaction will come next chapter, together with some heated discussions (if things go as I plan - this chapter, for example, turned out entirely different than I imagined ^^;).

So, as I stated at the beginning, I've been moving. That also results in having no Internet access at my new home for a few weeks >_<. But I really hope this will give me the time to work on the next chapter, since I won't be distracted by _reading_ fanfics (that has become a rather unhealthy obsession over the last year...).  
Didn't have the time to add more to the story background yet, but I'll try to have something new when the next chapter is finished. I'll do my best that it won't take two months again...


	4. Confrontations

**Disclaimer:  
**see first chapter

**A/N:  
**Hello everybody, I'm back with the 4th chapter of Cause And Effect.  
Ehehe, what excuse do I have for taking longer than 2 months now? Let's say that my job is at fault... When I come home in the evening, I'm rarely motivated enough to write. And then my muses decided that it was much more fun to provide ideas for later chapters. ^^;  
I'm sorry for taking so long, but at least this chapter is twice the length of the others. I didn't feel like cutting it _again_, because this time I really wanted to have the Kaoru-Kenshin-interaction...  
Another thing: This story seems to be doing rather well, seeing that it has passed 600 hits. But I'm a little disappointed with the amount of reviews for the last chapter. Only two? I normally don't like to beg, but I'd love to get more feedback. I need to know if the story is good or bad and for which reasons. I also know that it has the potential to be confusing. So it would be helpful to know if there are things that need to be cleared up in later chapters. To me, the story lacks the confusion, since I have thought it up...  
So please drop me a line to tell me how I'm faring, Anonymous reviews are welcome, too. Just make sure to leave an email address if you want a reply.  
That's it for now. More (important) announcements at the end of this chapter.

On with the story. Enjoy!

----------

* * *

**Cause And Effect: The Burden Of A Legacy**

* * *

----------

**Chapter 4 – Confrontations**

Juro blinked, a little irritated. The cheerful smile on the girl's face together with the almost predatory glint in her eyes didn't bode well at all. He was surprised, though, that someone that young had been sent after him. From what he had gathered, he had expected something more... impressive. He didn't believe that 'the others' hadn't done some research as well. They _should_ at least suspect him to be no easy target. The pair that had approached him didn't look as dangerous as he had assumed, but he still was cautious – either his opponent truly underestimated him, or wanted _him_ to underestimate _them_. He leaned towards the latter.

Did he _want_ to have a word with them? He did, but neither now nor here! He would have preferred to be the one who initiated a confrontation, because it would have given him control over the situation. But he wasn't in the position to choose now – and since keeping quiet and simply walking away wouldn't work this time, he opted for a glare and a direct approach.

"What do you want?"

"Now, now," the girl said with a placating gesture. "No need for harsh words. We only want to talk. But I'd suggest we look for a quieter location. It's much too crowded here at the moment." And it was. Right now, everybody was leaving, and therefore passing the main hall they were currently standing in. They were surrounded by a sea of students – some of them shooting the little group curious glances.

While the girl still thought about where to go, two students called out to her, trying to make plans for the evening. Neither of them seemed to notice anything strange about her proximity to Juro and he was grateful for that.

In the time she talked to her classmates, she was acting sweet and innocent – but after waving them good-bye and turning back to Juro, the calculating look was back in her eyes. "I think, we'll just go to the room I had my last class in. That one is empty for sure and we'll have all the privacy we need. Come on. The sooner we get there, the sooner we'll be finished."

Juro's irritation grew. He didn't quite know how to handle the girl and her silent companion. For now he would follow them, but he remained highly alert, thinking of strategies to counter whatever they sent his way.

After they had entered the empty classroom, the girl spoke again: "We'll start this conversation properly with the introductions, okay? I am Reiko. My partner over there is Hideo. And you are?"

Now Juro was truly alarmed. He had noticed that Hideo had casually taken position near the door, effectively blocking his way out. And now Reiko asked for his name, although _she_ had been the one to address him earlier. He didn't like where this was going.

"Why ask, when you already know?" he replied carefully. He didn't really expect it to work and Reiko immediately proved him right.

"Well, it's more polite to introduce yourself instead of letting others assume only." The soft smile never left her face and Juro mentally growled.

"Kanzaki Juro," he said curtly.

"Wrong answer." These quiet words were the first Hideo had spoken since their approach, so they had even more impact than anything Reiko could have said.

Juro's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And why would you say that? What do _you_ know about me anyway?"

His question was followed by a short and rather awkward silence, in which Reiko's smile grew even more cheerful and Hideo did his best to look reprimanding.

"We know a lot about you... Himura Kenshin," Reiko said. Watching him pale, she added: "There's no use denying it. You're not the only one prepared."

When Juro was sure he could trust his voice again, he said flatly: "I've asked this before and I demand an answer now: _What_ do you want?"

"Bluntly spoken, we want answers to our questions." She held up three fingers. "The first one is: Why have you decided to transfer to Japan? It must have been something very important, since your school year overseas hadn't even ended when you moved. Second: Why are you pretending to be someone else? And third: How does Shimoda Kaoru fit into the whole picture?"

"How would _I_ know? She just keeps following me and I can't shake her off. It's not as if I had asked for her company."

"So you weren't planning on involving her into whatever you are doing here? Your luck! Would you answer the other questions now, too?"

"As if it was any of your business..."

"Could we please stop that?" Reiko started to sound annoyed now. "I know that you don't trust us and that you think you have to be defensive. But you have to understand that this is important. There are things going on that we have yet to investigate. And we know that you could provide us with information. I feel that this would be to everybody's advantage."

"Who's 'we'?"

Reiko laughed. "You expect us to give when you deny us? That's not exactly what I'd call an fair trade."

"Look who's talking..." Juro retorted with narrowed eyes.

"Ahhh... So what would you think of a compromise? For every question you answer you can ask one of yours." Reiko pointedly ignored Hideo's disapproving expression and continued: "What do you say?"

Juro glared at Reiko for a while, but then he gave in. He was tired of this struggle for control of the situation – and he just wanted to know what was _going on_. The easiest way of gaining some information was to cooperate for a while. He sighed. "Fine. Then ask."

"Okay, first tell us the reason for your sudden transfer."

"It's not really sudden if you take into account that I'm retaking my last year. I had the chance of going to a school in Japan and seeing my own Japanese roots I thought it to be a great idea. Had I graduated in the States first, I wouldn't have been able to attend this school."

"Why do I have the feeling that this is only the cover story?"

With a growl Juro said: "It was a lucky chance that the offer for a transfer came at this point. I wanted to come to Japan anyway, because of a personal matter I want to take care of."

"And that personal matter being the investigation of your father's death? I'd like to know what answers you hope to find here, seeing that everything happened in the States."

Juro had difficulties not to react violently. Reiko knew far too much about everything. That only increased his suspicions about them belonging to the group he was looking for. The only thing that didn't really fit into the picture was the fact that both Reiko and Hideo were so young. But he wouldn't know for sure until he asked. He only hoped that it wouldn't turn out to be a mistake.

"The results of my research so far pointed to a group with Japanese origins. I suspect their motive to go after my family is because of my ancestors' past. We couldn't have offended people that mostly operate in Japan. Apart from me, nobody of my family has ever left the States." Juro took a deep breath before deciding to take the risk. "The group in question has a long history as ninjas. They officially existed until a few years into the Meiji Era. But some incidents in the last hundred or so years suggest that they are still active..."

"Wait a second. You believe that the Oniwabanshuu are responsible for your father's death?" Reiko asked, shock evident on her face. "That can't be. Ever since the Meiji Era, we've been _protecting_ the Himura family..."

"Protecting, huh?" Juro interrupted her harshly. Reiko's reaction proved his suspicions right that they were Oniwabanshuu members. That didn't help his current temper at all. "The past events surely look like that. I think my father would agree." There was bitterness in his voice. "And the way the police reports on the case have been altered to look like it was only some 'ordinary' case; the police force itself has to have been infiltrated. If you see that course of action together with the fact that there have been quite some differences between your group and my family before you disappeared from the public eye, there aren't many people left with a reason to chase us down."

Even Hideo's rather stoic expression had changed to obvious surprise at Juro's accusations and then shifted to intense concentration as he tried to fit the new facts into their own research results.

"That is clearly unexpected," Reiko said, still wide-eyed. "Can you give us access to those files, so we could see what is going on?"

"Like hell!" Juro spat. He didn't believe that they hadn't known of all that before.

"Look," Hideo finally said, surprising Juro who had concentrated his attention on Reiko. "We know that you see us as your enemy at the moment, and we can give you nothing but our word that we are not..."

"Exactly!" Juro interrupted him. "And for now, I will stick to that." With a final glare in their direction, he grabbed his bag and headed for the door. "Now excuse me, I have other things to do."

Hideo didn't try to keep him from leaving. He knew it would be impossible at the moment to get more out of him. So he just stepped aside, already deep in thought about the turn of events.

After Juro had closed the door behind him, Reiko sighed. "He didn't even answer our second question..."

"But we were able to confirm our suspicions about his research. He _is_ trying to investigate his father's death on his own."

"True, but I don't like what he found in those files. We should inform Seta about that. He can tell his men to have a look into the matter."

Hideo nodded. "Now we just have to find a way to make Himura talk to us again..."

---

The next morning found Kaoru in a much better mood than the day before. And although she noticed that Juro seemed to be unusually broody, she decided to start another attempt at 'befriending the mute' after school.

And that was what she did. The moment he left the school grounds, she started to run to catch up with him. Her breathless "Wait up!" was ignored like all the other times before, so she just shrugged it off and began to talk to him about the day. She had to admit that, although the 'conversations' always stayed one-sided, she had come to like them. They gave her an opportunity to vent and she had fun trying to get a reaction out of him. Of course, apart from a few ever so slightly changing expressions, it never worked. But that wasn't a reason for her to give up. While this had started as an assignment, it was now more of a personal goal to make him talk. She had decided that she _would_ succeed at some point.

Unlike some other days, she hadn't said anything to provoke him yet, but she was surprised to see his lips pressed together in a fine line already. He was reaching that phase faster than usual today and she wondered why. So she asked him what was up and watched amazed at how he developed an even deeper scowl. Interesting! Newly motivated, she continued to pester him to see what would happen.

When his expression had darkened so much that he started to look scary, she huffed: "Would you cheer up already? With that face you might accidentally terrify little children. I'd really like to know why you act so grumpy today..."

But instead of staying distant like she had expected, this time he finally snapped.

"I. Don't. Want You Here! So go mind your own business." He angrily glared at her.

'Oh my god! He _talked_.' She just wasn't sure, if that was a good thing – considering the peeved look on his face. Still, she liked the sound of his voice. Even raised it was a light and pleasant baritone that made him sound older than he looked. At his continuing glare, she became aware that she was staring and probably looking kind of dumb. It was time to snap out of it!

"But you _are_ my business," she answered cheerily. He didn't seem to comprehend, so she decided to 'help' him out: "Oh, come on. I'm sure you've overheard the little conversation with my so-called friends yesterday. So you know that I've been assigned to look after you."

He blinked, still unwilling to understand. "So you've been asked. Big deal! Ever thought of the possibility to decline – or give up?"

Was there _hope_ in his voice? 'Sorry, redhead. No such luck,' she thought, mentally grinning.

"That's out of question, since my teacher knew how to persuade me. Also, you've made me curious. I want to know just why you're acting so weird. There has to be a good reason for that – and I'm going to find out," she added confidently.

"Good luck then," he growled, not realizing he was repeating the words the girls had used the other day.

She grinned openly now. "That was the wrong reply if you wanted to get rid of me. I _love_ challenges!" He sent her another glare and turned to leave. Ignoring the obvious dismissal, she started to walk in the same direction. "You know, now that you've finally started to talk, I'll happily stick around you a little longer. Who knows what wonders you work next. Could be quite entertaining..."

Juro was about to explode. That _girl_! Couldn't she just leave him alone? Today of all days she had to be exceptionally annoying. He was angry at himself that he had snapped so easily. He should have been stronger than that. Now it really was impossible to get rid of her and he didn't like it. There were so many things already that he had to concentrate on – he didn't need more to deal with. And he couldn't even blame someone else for this. It was entirely his own fault that he was worse off now.

Then again, he had to admit that the situation had an amusing aspect to it. He had seen her slightly confused expression at his sudden outburst. Understandable, because normally her constant chatter didn't bother him enough to take action. But today it had added up with his brooding about the two Oniwabanshuu members and resulted in his unusually short temper. Not that he would explain that to her. There were things she didn't have to know.

Anyway, confused or not, she should be happy now. After all, she _had_ made him talk – just like she'd promised. He had known that he was doomed the moment she had first approached him. So the little vengeful part of him thought of her confusion as a reasonable payback for her insistence. Said confusion didn't keep her from talking, though. So now he had to struggle to catch the topic of her little speech that was lost to him due to his musings.

When they approached her home, she grinned up to him. "So, I'll see you tomorrow then. Try to cheer up a bit, okay? I'm sure that would suit you much better."

She laughed at his reappearing scowl and added a cheery "Good bye" that she seemed to expect to be answered.

"Bye," he bit out gruffer than necessary and then turned to continue his way. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw her waving at him. Great. Just great... he knew that he'd need all of his mental strength for the days to come.

---

His suspicions were proved right when he entered the school grounds the next morning and caught sight of her almost immediately – _regrettably_, he would say.

"Good morning, Juro," she called out to him with a huge smile.

For a short moment he sent her a murderous glare that went unnoticed by the others, before he hid his eyes behind his bangs again and acted as if he hadn't heard her. Kaoru sighed, frustrated by his new attempt to appear shy to the world. After yesterday's incident he should _know_ that this tactic didn't work on her anymore.

To her dismay, her call had drawn quite a few curious stares in their direction. That was what _she_ should have known. Most of the students were probably wondering just what the hell was going on between them. She was aware that the gossip and speculations had started ever since she'd been assigned to befriend Juro, but so far it had always stayed relatively quiet.

Now it seemed that that would change drastically. She knew the sensation-seeking personalities of many of the students and with her open greeting this morning she had inadvertently given them a juicy topic to talk about – which they immediately did. And they didn't even bother to be discreet about it. Some of the whispers were loud enough for her to understand from a distance.

"He really _can_ talk?" some asked with slight wonder, or: "He understands Japanese, after all?"

... so they had somehow managed to find out about yesterday. She didn't like it, but she would have to live with it.

"Just how did she manage that?" others mused, then added with a more nasty tone to it: "She's so cheerful this morning, it must have been something _interesting_..."

And the rumors continued to grow more speculative by the second. Kaoru didn't know, if she should be angry or embarrassed – probably both – but the result of that would only add new entries to her record that was about to be cleared. So she opted for silent brooding, at least _imagining_ their punishments.

The people who passed Juro while gossiping didn't fare that well, though. Everyone he caught whispering about 'the talk incident' he sent a withering glare that effectively shut them up. He looked relieved when classes finally started and the students were all settled and not bothering him anymore.

Kaoru suspected that she was about to hear heated complaints as soon as school was over. But at least they'd _talk_. She was sure that, given time, the accusation in his voice would vanish – whenever she managed to placate him for having broken through his defenses...

----------

* * *

----------

**A/N:  
**Betaed by kokoronagomu – thanks for the support! ^^

And now something about the Kenshin/Juro issue (in case you wonder):  
Although now it is revealed that Juro's name is really Kenshin, in the text outside the dialogue he's still named Juro. The reason for that is simply that _Kaoru_ doesn't know about his real name yet. As soon as she finds out, I will switch to calling him Kenshin in the text, too.

My homepage with the background info to this story has been updated. It's still far from complete, but there are some new things you might like to see (like character sheets of the people that have appeared so far).

Next chapter: Two new characters are introduced. And although I can't promise anything, I try to hurry.

And now: Please review! ^_~


End file.
